Free summer meals

Troup County School System is once again providing free summer meals to anyone 18 years and younger. This year, they are expanding their pick-up location to include West Point. The program is called the Summer Feeding Program and is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

TCSS will have routes that go throughout the county. At the locations, people can drive through and receive a full seven days’ worth of breakfast and lunch for a child in their life. The program will last from June 3 until July 24.

“Even if they’re homeschooled or they belong to a Christian school,” said Nicole Gibson, a marketing specialist with the TCSS food service company Chartwells School Dining Services K-12.

Diane Pain, TCSS Director of Nutrition, added “If they are in Lanett it doesn’t matter. We’ll take Lanett’s kids, we take Meriwether [County] we take Heard [County]…they just have to meet us at one of [the listed] places.”

The only other stipulation is that those wanting meals for a child or children must call the nutrition office ahead of time at 706-883-1588. LaGrange and Hogansville pickups are on Mondays, and orders must be called in by the Wednesday before. West Point pickups are on Wednesday and must be called in by the Friday before.

It also allows for the district’s food service employees, with Chartwell Schools, to stay employed throughout the summer.

“The Chartwell workers had to fend for themselves for two months without a paycheck. And we would lose people over the summer. So by offering these programs, we also offer employees more income and a way to retain our employee base,” Pain said.

The program was popular last year, serving around 50,000 meals to kids. Pain said the department had to go around buying coolers to store the frozen foods while in transit last year. This summer, they have a refrigerated truck and sorting boxes, funded by a grant through the non-profit No Kid Hungry.

The pick-up routes are:

Route #1 – LaGrange (Pick Up on Mondays)

Lee’s Crossing Apartments (119 Old Airport Rd.) – 9:00 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. ET

Public Library (115 Alford St.) – 9:35 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET

Laurel Crossing (1700 Park Place) – 10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET

Wood Glenn Apartments (64 N N Carey St.) – 12:00 p.m. to 12:20 p.m. ET

Sword of the Lord (11 Bernard Ave.) – 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET

Route #2 – Hogansville (Pick Up on Mondays)

Hogansville Housing (403 W Boyd Rd) – 9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. ET

Hogansville Housing (200 W. Boyd Rd.) – 9:20 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET

Hogansville Housing (200 Lawrence St.) – 9:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET

God’s Bread Basket (401 Green Ave.) – 10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET

Sword of the Lord (11 Bernard Ave.) – 10:35 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET

Route #3 – West Point (Pick Up on Wednesdays)

West Point Sportsplex (1110 Ave. C) – 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET

Bethlehem Baptist Church (1111 E. 10th St.) – 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. ET

West Point United Methodist Church (306 E. 7th Ave.) – 10:25 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. ET

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